As portable electronic devices become more compact, and the number of functions performed by a given device increase, it has become a significant challenge to design a user interface that allows users to easily interact with a multifunction device. This challenge is particularly significant for handheld portable devices, which have much smaller screens than desktop or laptop computers. This is unfortunate because the user interface is the gateway through which users receive not only content but also responses to user actions or behaviors, including user attempts to access a device's features, tools, and functions. Some portable communication devices (e.g., cell phones, etc.) have resorted to adding more push buttons, increasing the density of push buttons, overloading the functions of push buttons, or using complex menu systems to allow a user to access, store, and manipulate data. These conventional user interfaces often result in complicated key sequences and menu hierarchies that must be memorized by the user.
Many conventional user interfaces, such as those that include physical push buttons, are also inflexible. This is unfortunate because it may prevent a user interface from being configured and/or adapted by either an application running on the portable device or by users. When coupled with the time consuming requirement to memorize multiple key sequences and menu hierarchies, and the difficulty in activating a desired push button, such inflexibility is frustrating to most users.
Portable multifunction devices often include functions or applications that require input of data from a number of set choices, and the choice between equivalents of the set choices. But the existing user interfaces for providing this input (e.g., via stylus, finger, or hard buttons) are cumbersome and inefficient.
Commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/968,051, “System, Method, and Graphic User Interface for Inputting Date and Time Information on a Portable Multifunction Device,” filed Dec. 31, 2007 (now U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2008/0165149), discloses a scroll wheel function greatly improves on the user experience. It does not, however, expressly provide for dual or tertiary functions within each column of information.
Accordingly, there is a perceived need more transparent and intuitive user interfaces for inputting data and choosing equivalents for the data, particularly for but not limited to use in portable multifunction devices. Such interfaces can increase the effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction, particularly with respect to portable multifunction devices.